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1. Technical Field
The present system relates to systems for preventing impaired driving and more particularly, to systems that prevent impaired persons from operating vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Driving a vehicle while impaired by drugs or alcohol is a major problem in the United States and many other countries. Each year, many deaths and injuries are attributable to alcohol or drug related vehicular accidents. In response, many jurisdictions in the United States, law enforcement officers have enacted reactive measures to curtail the occurrence of people driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. One example of a reactive measure used by law enforcement agencies is the administration of field sobriety tests to drivers who are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Although such a reactive measure may remove a few individuals from roads or highways, this measure only controls those individuals who are stopped and concluded to be impaired by drugs or alcohol. Even then, the impaired drivers who are stopped have already risked the safety of the themselves and others by driving a vehicle.
A number of other measures directed at limiting the effects of impaired driving have been advanced. Some of these measures are more proactive in nature in that efforts are made to prevent a drunk or high driver from even getting in his or her car. For example, friends of an impaired driver may keep the driver""s keys away from the driver if they believe that he or she is incapable of driving. Although safer than relying on law enforcement to remove the driver from the road, keeping the driver""s keys may cause logistical problems because someone must provide the impaired individual with a ride home. In addition, the driver""s car is often left unattended, which increases the chances of it being stolen or vandalized. Even worse, the impaired driver may be out alone without a support group to prevent him or her from driving. Thus, what is needed is a system that prevents impaired drivers from driving yet provides the driver with logistical alternatives to ensure his or her (or his or her car) safe passage home.
The present invention concerns a system for providing assistance to impaired drivers. The system includes a substance detector for generating an impairment reading for user based on a sample provided by the user and a notification device in communication with a transportation service where the notification device contacts the transportation service when the impairment reading is outside a predetermined range. The notification device also provides the transportation service with navigational data when the notification device contacts the transportation service to permit the transportation service to locate the user. Additionally, the impairment reading can be a blood alcohol content reading.
In one embodiment, the system can include an ignition disabling device in which the ignition disabling device can enable an ignition system when the impairment reading is inside the predetermined range. The system can also include a key blocking device. The key blocking device can provide access to a key when the impairment reading is inside the predetermined range.
In another embodiment, the notification device can include a global positioning system receiver for providing the navigational data to the transportation service and a transceiver for communicating with the transportation service. Additionally, the notification device can contact at least one of a governmental agency and an insurance agency when the impairment reading is outside the predetermined range.
The transportation service can provide the user with transportation once the transportation service locates the user. In one arrangement, the notification device can provide the transportation service with identifying information, and the transportation service can automatically charge a fee to an account. In another arrangement, the system can be contained within a vehicle driven by the user; the transportation service can locate the user by locating the vehicle, and the transportation service can provide transportation to the vehicle. In this system, the notification device can provide the transportation service with identifying information, and the transportation service can automatically charge a fee to an account. Also, the transportation service can include at least one of a driving service and a towing service. The system can also include a user interface where the user interface displays at least one of operating information and the impairment reading.
In accordance with the invention, a method for providing assistance to impaired drivers includes the steps of generating an impairment reading for a user based on a sample provided by the user, contacting a transportation service when the impairment reading is outside a predetermined range, providing the transportation service with navigational data during the contacting step to permit the transportation service to locate the user. The method can also include the step of providing transportation to at least one of the user and a vehicle driven by the user.
In the generating step, the impairment reading can be a blood alcohol content reading. The method can further include the step of providing an ignition disabling device and enabling an ignition system with the ignition disabling device when the impairment reading is within a predetermined range. Additionally, the method can also include the step of providing a key blocking device and enabling a key with the key blocking device when the impairment reading is within a predetermined range.
The contacting step can also include the step of contacting at least one of a governmental agency and an insurance agency when the impairment reading is outside a predetermined range. The providing step can also further include the step providing the transportation service with identifying information where the transportation service automatically charges a fee to an account.